High rents push Hong Kong Student Cities ranking down

Hong Kong has dropped out of the top 10 in a global Best Student Cities index, which measures a place’s livability for overseas students, due to high rents, according to Quacquarelli Symonds, a British company specializing in education.

The Asian financial hub is now 11th among 100 cities, down from 8th a year ago, the 2017 edition of the Best Student Cities index showed. But it ranks third in Asia, following Seoul (No 4) and Tokyo (No 7). Last year, Seoul ranked sixth, while Tokyo was third globally.

“With space at a premium, rent is known for being exorbitantly expensive in Hong Kong, but general living expenses such as eating out and transport remain low,” the QS report said. “If you value peace, quiet and personal space, then life in this packed and fast-paced metropolis might be a little daunting.”

International tuition fees in Hong Kong are somewhere in the mid-range – much lower than studying in the US, for example, but higher than those charged in Western European countries such as France or Germany, it said.

Montreal is the best student city in the world, following by Paris and London, according to the index.(AsianTimes)